Missed Tim Tebow’s baseball journey in 2017? You’ll have another chance
Brace yourself.
TebowMania is returning for a second season.
The New York Mets on Friday announced that former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow was one of nine minor-leaguers to receive an invite to the franchise’s major-league spring training.
It will be the second straight year fans get a chance to see the 30-year-old Tebow in Grapefruit League action.
The Mets, though, play in Port St. Lucie on Florida’s east coast.
So what’s the easiest commute to catch Tebow this spring?
Well, the Mets make a couple trips to Florida’s west coast this spring.
The rare venture from one side of Florida to the other sees the Mets visit Tampa and Sarasota for March games against the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, respectively.
And those visits happen on weekends.
We’ve invited nine players to major league #SpringTraining including: Peter Alonso, P.J. Conlon, Kevin Kaczmarski, Patrick Mazeika, Drew Smith, Corey Taylor, Tim Tebow, David Thompson and Adonis Uceta. #Mets
— New York Mets (@Mets) January 19, 2018
First, the Mets play the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Saturday, March 10. They visit Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota to face the Orioles on Sunday, March 18.
Both games are scheduled for a 1:05 p.m. start.
The Mets also make two other non-east coast trips.
Those are to Lakeland on Friday, March 19, to play the Detroit Tigers and to Lake Buena Vista on Wednesday, March 28, to play the Atlanta Braves.
Both games are slated for a 1:05 p.m. start.
Tebow’s performance last spring didn’t produce a big-league roster spot, but it did generate raucous crowds and great interest every time he played.
Ultimately, Tebow spent 2017 between New York’s low-Class A and high-Class A affiliates. The latter, based in Port St. Lucie in the Florida State League, saw Tebow visit Port Charlotte to play the StoneCrabs over the summer.
The Mets won’t make a trip to LECOM Park during spring training, but Tebow could play in Bradenton early in the Florida State League season.
If Tebow lands on the St. Lucie Mets roster, which is where he finished the 2017 season, the Bradenton Marauders host the Mets in their home opener on Saturday, April 7, at LECOM Park.
Tebow’s rookie baseball season produced a combined .226 average with eight home runs. Tebow’s football career, which includes winning the Heisman Trophy with the Gators, included NFL stints with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets.
His last NFL appearance was in 2012 with the Jets.
Jason Dill: 941-745-7017, @Jason__Dill
This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Missed Tim Tebow’s baseball journey in 2017? You’ll have another chance."